Collapsible closet



July 2, 1940. v H, DERMAN 2,206,767

- COLLAPSIBLE CLOSET Filed Jan. 6, 1938 qaaaia 26 ATTORNEY i7 Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to what are known as closets, wardrobes and other containers composed of collapsible wall parts to permit compact folding thereof for shipment, storage, and

5 other purposes, and the object of the invention resides partlcularlyinthe provision of closets of this type employing a flexible door which is slidably mounted in suitable guide ways in the side walls of the door opening formed in the closet for controlling such door opening, and more particularly in a structure of this type wherein the flexible door closure is mounted upon and operated in one direction by a spring roller with means on one end wall of the closet for supporting the spring roller and the door to form of such end wall structure a unit including the flexible door and its associated parts, a further object being to provide a closet of the character described wherein the other end wall of 2 the closet includesan integral front wall portion having a top rail forming a stop limiting the downward movement of the door and cooperating with grooved side rails and a rail on the first named wall to form a door frame structure at the front of the closet, a still further object being to provide a collapsible closet or cabinet of the character described which is simple and economical in' construction and which is constructed as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed inthe following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters, and in which.

Fig. l is an exploded view illustrating the several parts of a closet made according to my invention in spaced relationship to each other indicating the method of assembling the parts.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the assembled device showing the door of the closet in open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the Fig. 2 i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the part of the construction as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a 50 modified form of construction.

In the construction shown the closet, cabinet or other container consists primarily of four unit parts; that is to say, a main body part ill, a top wall part II, a bottom wall part l2 and a 55 hanger part l3. These parts are shown in exline 3-3 of tended position with respect to each other in Fig. 1 of the drawing ready for assemblage so as to clearly illustrate the manner of coupling the parts together. a

The part l0 consists of a back wall i4, side walls I5, I So, and front wall parts l8. Ha, each having for the major'port'ion of their length, door guiding rails ll. Ila secured thereto. The channels l8 of said rails open inwardly or toward each other as will be apparent. The upper edges of the side walls i5, Ilia as well as the front wall parts I8, Iia are lower than the other edges of said side walls to form notches or recesses IQ for receiving part of the structure of the top wall unit II.

The top wall unit ii consists of a fibre or paper board 20 of a form to flt upon the walls of the part ill in extended position. The wall 20 has depending flanges 2| at the back and side edges thereof and a front reinforcing and finishing strip 22, preferably of wood, at the front edge thereof. A supplemental reinforcing strip 22a is secured to the top wall adjacent the strip 22 and forms in conjunction with the top wall a support for sheet metal brackets 23, for supporting a conventional spring roller 24, at the ends of the roller and with apertures for receiving the conventional shanks of such rollers, as is well known in the art.

The brackets 23 also support a guide roller 25 arranged adjacent the strip 22 and employed to guide a flexible single-faced corrugated sheet 26 onto'the roller 24. The single-faced corrugated sheet 26 forms the flexible door or closure for the cabinet. One end. of this sheet is attached to the roller 24, and the other free end thereof is attached to a transverse wood strip 21 which forms a finishing strip for the free edge of the door 26. The ends of the strip 21 have projecting tongues 28- adapted to enter the grooves l8 of the strip l1, lla, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. It will also be understood that the side edges of the door 26 operate in the grooves l8 in forming the door closure.

In the construction shown, the strip 21 carries a catch device 29 centrally thereof for engaging a spring catch. later described.

The lower surface of the finishing strip 22 is recessed adjacent the ends thereof, as indicated at 30, note Fig. 1 to receive the upper ends of the rails l1, Ila. Secured to the strip 22 adjacent these notches 30 are coupling links 3i which are adapted to project over the outer surfaces of the rails i'I, Na, and are secured thereto by screws or other devices passing through apertures ilb formed in said rails. The various walls of the unit III as well as certain parts or flanges Ill and I2 are provided with registering apertures for receivingbrads or other fasteners for coupling the respective parts together and so as to facilitate attachment and detachment of the parts at will. Some of these fastenings are illustrated at 32 in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The unit i2 is composed of fibre or corrugated board and consists of a bottom wall 33 having upwardly extending side flanges 34, a rear flange 38 and front wall part 38.' The latter includes rearwardly turned side flanges 31. The upper edges of the front wall part 38 and the flanges 31 thereof are preferably reinforced by tapes 38 to produce finished edges. Centrally of the upper edge of the front wall is a finishing strip 39 having a spring catch device 40 for engaging the device 29 to support the door in closed position against the action of the spring roller 24. The finishing strip 39 has at its ends projecting tongues which are adapted to enter the grooves iii of the strips I'l, lla for keylngthe parts together.

It will thus be seen that when the several parts .are assembled, the side rails il, Ila and the strips 22 and 39 will form a rectangular door frame construction. It is also preferred that the front walls 38 be reinforced by vertical strips 42 which extend from the lower edge of the front wall to r the lower surface of the strip 39. The strips 42 I will give rigidity to the front wall and take up the dot and dash lines 44, 44a, and the top wall 20 is folded on the dot and dash lines 45. The side flanges are slit as indicated by the line 46 for these purposes. The bottom wall 43 will be folded on the line 41, which fold will also extend through the side flanges 43. It is understood that the rearflange 35 is capable of being folded onto the bottom wall by a fold, indicated by the dotted line 48, in the flanges 34, whereas the front wall 36 is folded onto the bottom wall by virtue of the mitered corner as indicated at 49.

The hanger i3 comprises two hook-shaped metal clips 50 which are adapted to engage the upper edges of the side walls i5, i5a of the: part i3 approximately centrally thereof so as to [brace these walls and at the same time provide a hanger rod 5| for supporting garments or the like within the cabinet. The rod BI is coupled with the clips 50 through pivoted links 82 which are free to swing in alinement with the clips 50 in the packing and shipment of the device. The clips 50 are also joined by a tube 83 containing a suitable insecticide primarily for rendering the cabinet substantially moth-proof, as in other materials or compounds of this type.

In assembling the several parts or units of the closet, the bottom wall part i2 is first arranged upon a floor or other surface in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The part It is then folded to the position shown in'said figure and then placed upon the part i2 with the lower edge portions of back wall l4 and side walls l5, i5a disposed within the flanges 34, 35. Fasteners,

walls l4, l8, lia.

such as at 32, note Fig. 2, are then passed through the flanges-34, 38 and the walls l4, I5, I80 to secure the parts in position, as well as through the flanges 31 of the part l2. The hanger unit i3 is then mounted upon the upper edges of the side walls 18, Ilia, after which the part or unit II is placed upon the upper edges of the walls I4, l8, l8a with the depending flanges -2l.,,,;ar-

ranged outwardly of said walls. Suitable fasteners are passed through the'fianges 2i and the In the last operation, the projecting tongues 28 at the ends of the finishing strip 21 are placed in the grooves i8 of the strips l'|, lla. Suitable screws are passed through the couplings 3i, passing into the apertures Nb of the strips ll,

Ila as will be apparent.

It will also be noted that in assembling the part It with the part i2, the projecting tongues 4| at the ends of the strip 39 will also enter the grooves i8 of the strips I1, i'ia, thus forming on the finished cabinet an oblong rectangular wide frame within which the flexible door 28 is freely movable. A spring of the roller 24 normally supports the door or closure 28 in raised position, and the door is closed against the action of the spring roller and is held in closed position by engagement of the spring catch 48 with the catch device 29.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing 1 have shown a slight modification which consists in substituting for the rails I1, Ila, strips 54 only one of which is shown, which are arranged upon the inner surfaces of the parts I6, I61: and are secured thereto. The strips 54 are grooved as seen at 55 to form in conjunction with the free edge 56 of the wall parts I8, We a channel similar to the channels it. Otherwise the structure shown in Fig. 6 will be substantially the same as that shown in the other figures. In this connection it will be noted that the strips l1, Ila have grooves llc, note Fig. 5, for receiving the free edges of the wall parts I6, I81: in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

It will be understood that the illustrations in the accompanying drawing demonstrate one method of carrying the invention into effect, but various adaptations and uses of the several parts or units will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In this connection it is one of the principal features of my invention to provide the several units which will be packed and shipped as such to simplify the assemblage of the units in -the construction of the closet or other container.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. .A knockdown foldable closet of the class described comprising three main unit parts and a hanger unit part, one of said parts comprising foldably related front, back and side wall portions, said front wall portions being separated and widely spaced to form a door opening, reinforcing strips attached to the front wall portions to form part of a door frame bordering said door opening and having longitudinal door guiding grooves, another of said unit parts comprising an end wall having a front wall portion, said part being detachable with respect to the walls of the first named part, the front wall portion of the second named part having a reinforcing strip registering and interfitting in tongue and groove fashion with the reinforcing strips of the front wall parts to form another portion of the door frame, another of said unit parts comprising the other end of the closet and being detachable with respect to the walls of the flrst named part, said last mentioned end wall part having a reinforcing,

strip at one edge thereof interfltting in tongue and groove fashion with the reinforcing strips of the first named part to complete the doorframe, a flexible door member, means for supporting the door member in rolled condition upon the inner surface of the last named end wall part to constitute a unit therewith, a guide roller on the last named means, said door member having a reinforcing and guide strip at the free end thereof movable relatively to the reinforcing strips of the first named part in the operation of moving the door member into open and closed positions, and means for supporting the door member in closed position.

2; In a knockdown closet of the class described comprising a plurality of unitary wall parts adapted to be assembled in forming a closet, one of said parts forming one end'wall of the closet, said end wall part being formed from a sheet of fibre board reinforced at the outer edge thereof, a single-faced elongated strip of corrugated board forming a door or closure member constituting a portion of said unit end wall part, means on said end wall part adjacent the reinforced edge thereof for normally supporting said member in rolled condition, the free end of said member being reinforced and accessible at one edge portion of said end wall part, and a rod on said end wall part in spaced relation to the means supporting the door member for guiding said member in the operation of winding and unwinding the same in opening and closing said door member and further to maintain the reinforced end of said member in said accessible position.

3. A knockdown closet of the class described comprising a main body part consisting of a single sheet of corrugated board folded toform at least three walls of the closet, two end wall parts detachably coupled with and forming closures for y the ends of the flrstnamed parts in forming an --.oblong rectangular closet, the flrst named part and said last named parts having reinforcing wood strips whicli'interflt in tongue and groove fashion in the assemblage of all of said parts to form a rectangular door frame bordering the door opening of said closet, one end wall part having spaced brackets secured thereto and arranged to extend into said closet, a spring roller mounted in said brackets, a single-faced corrugated sheet forming a door member controlling said door opening, one end of said member being secured to said spring roller and adapted to be rolled thereon when the door is in open position, a guide roller coupled with said brackets for guidof said parts comprising predetermined foldably related back and side walls of the container, two other parts comprising end walls of the container, said end walls having front, back and side flanges, a flexible closure member, means constituting a unit portion of one of said end wall parts for supporting and guiding the closure. member thereon, said supporting means comprising a spring roller supported in said end wall part, said guiding means comprising a roller arranged adjacent the spring roller and the front flange of said end wall part, means on the first named part cooperating with the side edges of said closure member for guiding said member in its movement longitudinally of the door opening, a reinforcing strip at the free edge of the closure member, and said reinforcing strip being supported upon the front flange of said end wall part when the member is fully wound on the spring roller maintaining said member in position for movement into the last named means upon the assemblage of the parts.

5. In a container of the class described employing a plurality of independent unit parts which when assembled form a container having an opening at the front thereof, one part having foldably related front, back and side wall portions, other parts comprising end walls, one of said end wall parts having front, rear and side flange portions for attachment to the first mentioned part, a spring roller, means on said part for supporting said spring roller adjacent the forward flange of said part, a flexible closure member having one end attached to said spring roller with the member normally wound on the roller, a reinforcing and finishing strip at the free end of said member limiting the winding movement of the member on the roller by engagement with the front flange of said part, and means supported in said part adjacent the front flange thereof for guiding the closure member in its winding and unwinding with respect to the spring roller and in maintaining the reinforced and of said member in extended position.

- HARRY DERMAN. 

